The sources of the unclaimed funds are often savings or checking accounts in which there have been no activity for three years or more.

Sometimes the funds are checks for lottery winnings, which have not been cashed within 18 months. (Believe it or not, about $35,000 in lottery checks went unclaimed in 2013, state officials said.)

Officials won’t say what the $1.7 million is — whether it’s a lottery winning or dormant account. That’s to cut down on people trying to claim money that isn’t theirs — though they also make sure the claimant’s name matches the Social Security number listed for the unpaid funds.

“Claims involving estates, companies, and other complex accounts must be mailed in with a notarized signature, Social Security number, proof of connection with the account owner and the address associated with the account,” the office says.

Claiming property, if requested online, can take about a week. Mail requests take longer, Jones said, as can requests made by an estate.

Of the $12.5 billion bonanza, 33 percent is owed to bank accounts, 23 percent to corporations, 16 percent to insurance companies, 10 percent to state court funds, 3 percent to brokerages and 15 percent to others.